A. Field
The invention relates to a method for producing chip cards in the form of plug-in SIMs or as standardized smart cards, in particular in the ID-1 format. The cards can also be dual interface cards or also cards with other form factors, such as for example in the form of a USB token with corresponding USB contact connectors.
B. Related Art
The production of chip cards is subject to particular cost demands. In this technical field therefore particular efforts are being made to lower the production costs. Usually chip modules are inserted in prefabricated chip card bodies, typically adhesively bonded into a gap provided in the card body for this purpose. The production of the chip modules and the production of the card bodies correspondingly are separate processes. The card bodies are produced predominantly in laminating technique as sheets or rolls, and the chip modules are inserted in the card bodies before or after the punching out of the card bodies from the foil compound.
The chip modules are usually made available on a foil substrate in the form of a carrier band and punched out of the carrier band when they are inserted in the card body, so that a part of the carrier band is also transferred. On the front side of the carrier band there are disposed ISO contact areas for contact-type communication with external communication devices, and on the back side of the carrier band there are disposed the chip and contact areas for the chip, via which the chip is connected electroconductively with the contact areas on the front side of the carrier band. Recently the chip is mounted on the contact areas on the back in flip-chip technology. Thereby the elaborate wire bonding can be done without, and also a molding in of the chip and of the sensitive wires with epoxy resin or the like can be omitted optionally.